Category Archives: Communites of people

Brightening the Spirit with Color

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“Kodachrome, they give us those nice bright colors

They give us the greens of summers

Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah.”

~ Paul Simon

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We are living in a visual world and scientists have been studying the effects color has on our psyche. Indeed, there is validity to the psychological properties of color.

I have had my own long standing argument with wearing the color black. Sometimes I feel as if I want to put it on because it looks sophisticated and more formal than many other colors. So, I think “Okay, this occasion calls for my little black dress.” I put it on, and off it comes. I can’t stand what it makes me feel like. Don’t get me wrong, people   look terrific in their little black dresses. But, its just not me unless paired with some loud contrast.

Lately, I have been doing a little merchandising at a thrift store called Lift Up. It’s creatively challenging because all items are donations, display space is limited and I have to use the resources we’ve got on hand. But that is what makes it so much fun.

I’ve been taking pictures of some of the displays I have been creating. I had to laugh at myself the other day as I went through them. Notice the  arrangement of the colors on this multi-level bookcase and what i put unintentionally on the bottom shelf.  I need to raise it’s status!

LU3 May 5 2015 Signed & Resized

Sometimes, it is good to face what’s been dark places in our lives. I found that out when I wrote my memoir “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.” As it’s been said, if it wasn’t for darkness, there’d be no light. There is another book related to darkness and light of spirit that you might want to add to your reading list.

Wouldn’t you agree a spectrum of colors is illuminated more beautifully when it’s been placed up against the dark?That’s the reason why after a cold dreary winter, we appreciate colorful flowers that burst forth every spring and summer.

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LU3 Signed

Enjoy spring and the coming of the bright season of summer! I know I will.

This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.

The Young Artists in Them

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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. ~ Pablo Picasso

On Friday, a number of nine and ten year old students, who are Junior Girl Scouts, expressed their love of writing during my presentation “One Day in the Life of a Writer.” When I admitted to my weakness of rising extremely early at 5:30am to 6pm to write and record what I have often been thinking in the middle of the night, a few said they, too, wake in the wee hours of the morning with ideas to put down on paper.
GS13 croppedSo, each junior Girl Scout was given a spiral-bound notebook to embellish with reflections of their own personality, design sense and color preferences. The notebooks are bound to hold up no matter where they travel and no matter how long it takes to fill the pages with words.They’ve been given a strong foundation backed with Duck© Tape! I never realized there are so many colors and patterns of Duck© Tape now available.

With a promise of returning to teach the Girls Scouts how to make paper roses, the group set about doing their own craft project after my presentation. The rest of today’s story will be told in photos – enjoy the colorful personal journal creations made by Girl Scout Troop #12622.

 

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Isn’t individual creativity a wonderful thing? Come back tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, I’m looking for some opinions. And on Thirsty Thursday, you’ll enjoy a post called Spirit Not Withstanding!

Happy Cinco de Mayo from Sue Batton Leonard,  the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Fulfilling a Promise to Girl Scouts

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Good Morning! Happy May Day!

On March 24th I sent out a handwritten invitation to a very special group of youth –Girl Scout troop #12622. Here’s what the note card said:

You are cordially invited to “One Day in the Life of a Writer.” Join me at my writer’s desk in the Girl Scout meeting room on May 1, 2015  from 3:30 – 4:30 pm.

Well, the big day is here! I couldn’t be more excited to share my experiences of “One Day in the Life of a Writer.”  Here is what our program today looks like: 

  • A Peek into a Writers Day
  • A Tour of a Writers Desk
  • A Reading from an Authors Award-Winning Book

Girl Scout promise

Did you know the World Association of Girl Scouts is 10,000,000 “girl guides” strong and there are troops in 146 countries?I’ve asked each girl from troop #12622 to bring a question that they’ve always wanted to ask a writer but have never had the chance. On Monday, the questions and my answers will be published so Girl Scouts in other countries can learn more about what it’s like to be a writer.

I was a Brownie and a Junior Girl Scout in the 1960s where I grew up – in the heart of where north, meets south, on the Mason-Dixon Line in the State of Maryland. I can hardly wait to meet Colorado Junior Girl Scout troop #12622  – ages 9 and 10.

Do return to All Things Fulfilling on Monday because I promise to do my best to publish the girl’s questions to the author along with my responses.

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart and Soul.

Girl Scouts where girls grow strong

 

 

 

 

Pumped Up About Life

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Today, I promise you happiness in your day if you take a couple of minutes to watch this awesome video. It is the very definition of a few people living life pumped up, spreading joy to others. It is what Thursdays, thirsty for good news is all about!

That’s all I’ve got for today. Something special is on my calendar for tomorrow. Return and I will tell you about it.

 

A smile is a curve

 This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul,  Sue Batton Leonard.

 

 

Old Souls vs Young Souls

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 “Remember our souls are like snowflakes, all different and all beautiful.” ~ Unknown

I volunteer about six hours a week at a local consignment store called  Lift Up run by all the churches here in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I love it! It’s so interesting to see what comes in to the donation center. We volunteers often talk about the differences between what people value.

Did you know there is actually a science behind why we like what we do and what gives us feelings of fulfillment? This article is interesting. To sum it up there seems to be a relationship between whether we are old or young souls to many of our preferences -such as the books we read,  perhaps what we writers chose to write about, art, music, fashion, food and maybe even our belief system.

Have you ever read characteristics of what defines an old soul as opposed to what defines a young soul? Personally, I think this concept does play into many of our choices, right down to the things that we chose to share on Facebook.

Old soul, new soul or somewhere in between  I am not sure there is a preferred way of being to navigate this world in which we are living. I’d have to delve much deeper into the research in order to decide that for myself. However, as I read the description of “an old soul” there is a there characteristic that can’t connect with. It has been said that “old souls feel old.” I am on the opposite side of the spectrum of that feeling.

Thank heavens for favors, big and small.

Have a nice day
This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. The author of Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul and Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

 

Meet Me at The Movies

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“Healing Art is being born as we speak. The concept is catching fire, is awakening in people’s spirits…Artists, musicians and dancers are realizing their imagery has meaning….that their imagery heals them, others, their neighborhood, or the earth.” ~ Michael Samuels

meet me at the moviesThe Frye Art Museum in Seattle, Washington is partnering with several organizations to bring back classic movies because of their power to connect seniors with memories. The Alzheimer’s Association’s Western and Central Washington Chapter and the University of Washington School of Nursing along with Artists for Alzheimer’s/I’m Still Here Foundation have sponsored Meet Me at the Movies to celebrate film and it’s ability to stir the human emotions. An interesting partnering isn’t it? It speaks to the power of art to heal.

During the great Depression, people flocked to the movies because the entertainment cinema provided gave them relief from every day stresses. The eldest of the eldest of our country’s population, those in their late “renaissance years” remember the Golden Age of Movies and dancing every Saturday night. Alternatively, family and friends sat huddled together in front of the radio engaged in shows that united people and provided diversions to forget the financially difficult times and as ways to uplift their spirits.

Stories through the decades whether by film, book or through audio listening inspire, influence, entertain and change lives.

Do return on Monday. Next week I’ll have a few announcements! Have a great weekend.

This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. Her publications are available in audio, paperback and e-book format.

Thirsty Thursday: Going Dutch

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“Looking at things through the eyes of people who have very different experiences and assumptions than you do can be like food for the brain,” ~ Tom McBride

I happened upon a story that I like a lot. So, on this Thirsty Thursday, a day of the week dedicated to good news, we are going to visit a story from the Netherlands. It is about a creative living arrangement for the elderly and college students.

In short, there is an eldercare facility in the Netherlands who is letting college students live free so long as they agree to one condition – they must do their part in volunteering 30 hours a month to help the elderly. All sorts of unexpected benefits come out of the arrangement for both parties.

The six college students who have entered into the agreement have found the arrangement to be fulfilling. They like being around the seniors cooking for them, doing projects and teaching them about new things to keep the seniors interested and engaged in life.

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“Perhaps,” I think, “this intergenerational partnering will be a testing ground for the college students who are considering whether a career in eldercare is what they’ll want to put their hearts and soul into in the future.”

The senior citizens benefit because they do not feel so isolated, and it keeps them feeling young having the students around.

Other countries in Europe are beginning to look at this example as a viable option to help out both generations – college students and seniors. Read the entire article.

Senior care is changing in many ways to benefit the mind, body and spirit. Thanks to research on aging, many countries are providing a better quality of life for those in the final years. That’s good news!

See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.

 

 

A Term I Can Live With

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“Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us…” ~ Dale E Turner

I don’t know about you, baby boomer, but I dislike the thought of becoming a senior citizen. In fact, according to AARP, they’ve determined that I became a senior citizen five or six years ago when I began getting their publications and mailings regularly. I don’t think of myself anywhere near elderly or aged. In fact, I feel as if I am just beginning to hit my stride. Writing and publishing and a side of business that has come with that has given me a new lease on life. I am very committed and passionate about what I am doing.

People are living longer and more actively into their 70s, 80s and 90s. Research shows that staying active and involved is what keeps people healthy.

As I approach the retirement years, I decided that will not use the phrase “retirement years” when I reach that landmark. I don’t much like it. I’d rather say I am in my renaissance years. I discovered that term in an article.

Renaissance denotes vigor, renewal and interest in life than a decline and giving up. It will much better fit the “next act” wheverever that appears in my life.

If you are on the verge of retirement, have you put any thought into whether you are going to retire from life or continue to live life fully? What will you do in your “renaissance years” to keep you young and healthy? Volunteering, involvement in the arts, caretaking grandchildren, activity through sports such as yoga, hiking, walking, or staying interested in our diverse world though travel?

Whatever you chose, I wish you well. I hope your renaissance years are inspiring and they include creativity.

FIND YOUR CREATIVE SPARK

 

 

 

 

 

 

This blog is brought to you by the author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Creative Districts Rock

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“Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right or better.” ~John Updike

Yesterday I blogged about the Yampa Valley Choral Society. It is just one of many art organizations that abound in this town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

boettcher_report_thumbnailDid you know Steamboat Springs, Colorado was recently ranked in the Southern Methodist University’s National Center for Arts Research as #14 on the Arts Vibrancy Index?

The town also has the distinction of holding 4th place in the Small Towns to Visit in 2014 in the Smithsonian Magazine. For the small community of 10,000+ people, art and culture is important to part of everyday living yet it does not always get the attention it deserves. There are changes underway which will change all that.

Steamboat Springs has become an incubator as a Colorado Certified “Creative District.” There is an interesting full article in the Steamboat Pilot Newspaper about what it takes to become a creative district and to obtain funding and support for it.

I, like many others, have found the creatively stimulating environment refreshing. Living  life outloud is a term I associate with the people of Steamboat.

How does one “live life out loud?” Here is an interesting article about what that truly means.

earth without art

That is all for now. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling!

This blog is brought to you by the author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Stories in Music

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conducive-to-happiness[5]Every spring and fall the Yampa Valley Choral Society holds a community concert at the United Methodist Church in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This past weekend a group of 41 men and women and 10 young girls presented “I’ve Been Everywhere: It‘s the Journey That Counts.”

This year, the sound of young choral voices added to the concert. Ten young girls sang a few songs taken from film scores and musical theatre productions. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and two memorable selections from Annie – Tomorrow and It’s a Hard Knock Life (from Annie) were  included.

As usual, the arrangement of musical compositions sung by the forty-one adults were thoughtfully chosen and diverse. Spirituals included Set Me as A Seal which was paraphrased from the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament and How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place by Johannes Brahms. Words from Psalm 84 of the King James Bible were incorporated in the verses of this composition.

Karl Jenkins composition Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary was not familiar to me, however it was sweet sounding and harmonious.  Jenkins, is a Welsh composer whose album is unintended for words, rather the voices of the chorus made instrument-like noises.

Two songs had nautical backstories to them. Over the Sea to Skye tells of Charles Stuarts escape from Scotland in 1745 via ship, along with Flora MacDonald, who traveled incognito, posing as his maid. His exile took him to France where he spent the rest of his lifetime.

Dry Your Tears, Afrika,  one of my favorite tunes of the afternoon, was taken from the 1997 movie Armistad. The story is about 53 Africans who were transported by ship from Sierra Leone to be sold as slaves. They changed their destiny when they took hold of the ship and navigated it to Long Island. The events of their journey became the subject of a Supreme Court case. If you have not seen the movie, it’s powerful.

You haven’t been anywhere unless you’ve traveled across America. Songs from past Pop Hit Charts included Homeward Bound, Surfin’ USA, I’ve Been Everywhere, and I’ll Fly Away were incorporated into the concert, as well as America from West Side Story.

I never fail to learn something from the interesting backstories of the compositions that the Yampa Valley Choral Society choses to focus the themes of their concerts around. The program notes as well as the choir Director’s commentary help tell the story of each song’s rich history and their composers.

Thank you Yampa Valley Choral Society for yet another delightful hour of music. Look forward to your fall concert.

This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.